Just not feeling this arrangement

[Ernest Buckley]

Hey Gang,

 

Need some suggestions. I wrote a song about 2 years ago that I love. However the arrangement I have for it is just not moving me much so I changed it up, doing a 180 on it. However I am not sure this is working either.

 

I`m just wondering, what do you do when the song is good but the arrangements aren`t working?

 

Just on a side note, I originally wrote the song on an acoustic gtr. and the recordings do not have this. Maybe I should get back to basics and just record it with gtr. and vocal?

[alfonso]

Originally posted by Ernest Buckley:

....I originally wrote the song on an acoustic gtr. and the recordings do not have this. Maybe I should get back to basics and just record it with gtr. and vocal?

I think it's a good idea, you will start from the true spirit of the song, then you can add some more sounds, then subtract, even remove the guitar or elaborate it, but everything will turn around the original feel.

[Billster]

I suggest trying another 180, or maybe only a 90. I have songs I've written and envisioned a large arrangement, and then they turn out best in a more intimate mood. On the other hand, some stuff that I think is going to be simple ends up really benefitting from the power of a larger ensemble setting.

 

Try this too: Make a good clean performance of the plain guitar and vocal, and use that as a guide to develop other parts. In the end, you may end up replacing, or only using part of , the original simple guitar, but the parts you arrange around it will have a mroe true foundation.

[Lee Knight]

Billster said:

 

Try this too: Make a good clean performance of the plain guitar and vocal, and use that as a guide to develop other parts. In the end, you may end up replacing, or only using part of , the original simple guitar, but the parts you arrange around it will have a mroe true foundation.

 

 

I think that's the way to do it. Make a CD of your guitar and vocal performance and drive around listening to it. The arrangement will happen the right way.

[Ernest Buckley]

Thanks for the input so far. Its funny...I`ve been listening to the new arrangement/instrumental now for about 2 days and its starting to grow on me. I think I was so used to the demo.

 

Anyway last week when we went to mix, it just wasn`t happening. I was disgusted after having put so much work in. Now I`ve got the song more where I originally heard it in my head. I think I have to live with this 2nd arrangement for several days before I decide if this is album worthy or if I have to take another approach with it.